EverQuest just celebrated its 16th anniversary and for the last few years, that’s meant celebrations not only in EQ but in EverQuest II by way of the Chronoportals event. From the EQ2 Forums:

Portals to the Age of Turmoil have, once again, opened up in Antonica, Enchanted Lands, Thundering Steppes, Steamfont, Lavastorm, Sinking Sands, Feerrott, and Moors of Ykesha. Will you adventure through these portals to investigate them?

The Chronpportals event starts at 12:01AM PDT on Thursday, March 19, and ends at 11:59PM PDT on Thursday, March 26, 2015.

New features for 2015

New Quest – Hunt the Past

Seek out Tazstra K’Rzheett in the Commonlands. What does this suspicious character desire?

Erben and Distun Delki, the Chronoportal merchants, have three new paintings available:

Celebrate the original EverQuest’s anniversaries with special in-game events in EverQuest II! Portals to a time ages ago have opened across Norrath. Adventure, intrigue and a flashback to the days of yore await those brave enough to enter the chronoportals!

We missed this one last week but the Chronoportals event, which marks the anniversary of the launch of the original EverQuest, is on Test with some new content! From the EQ2 Forums:

The Chronoportal Phenomenon event is now active on Test!

Portals to the Age of Turmoil have, once again, opened up in Antonica, Enchanted Lands, Thundering Steppes, Steamfont, Lavastorm, Sinking Sands, Feerrott, and Moors of Ykesha. We need you to investigate them. And keep watch for a suspicious character witnessed within the Commonlands near several chronomages there. We know not what he desires.

New features for ’15!

New Quest – Hunt the Past

Erben and Distun Delki, the Chronoportal merchants, are selling three new EverQuest Paintings

Hidden in the Mists

Beasts of Cazic-Thule

Entering Unrest

This event content is currently set to run 03/19/2015 at 12:01 AM PDT time until 03/26/2015 at 11:59 PM PDT time on the live servers, with the event merchants remaining until 04/02/2015 at 11:59 PM PDT time.

Celebrate Brewday with both new and familiar holiday themed rewards, crafts, and adventures. Brewday 2015 starts on Thursday, March 5 at 12:01AM Pacific and runs until Monday, March 16, 2015 at 11:59PM Pacific.

Hey players! Do you like collecting various types of Norrathian… like Far Seas Ferrin? Well, then you’re in luck because until11:59PM PST on Sunday, March 1, 2015 you’ll earn DOUBLE alternative currency.

Note: This is in addition to the bonuses to alternative currency that All Access members get every day when they play EverQuest 2. That means that All Access members will get double DOUBLE tokens during this promotion.

This is a great opportunity to stock up on [eq2u]Far Seas Ferrin[/eq2u] or any other alternative currency you’ve been collecting in-game. We’re excited to offer this to our players, and we’ll see you in-game this weekend!

There was an update from Holly on twitter about the event on EU servers needing to be extended, but then it turns out EU servers patched this morning, so NEVAH MYND!

Unrest was not the only server affected. It turns out that the server maintenance that occurred this week for Butcherblock, Everfrost, Freeport, Nagafen, and Unrest removed all scheduled activations and deactivations.

The affected servers have had the following events rescheduled:
Erollisi Day now concludes on 2/20/15 at 11:59pm Pac.
Moonlight Enchantments began on 2/20/15 at 9:45am and will last through 2/22/15 at 11:59pm Pac.

EQ2 Senior Designer Kaitheel has posted the news that the popular Brewday Festival is now on Test and the developers are seeking testing and feedback:

Brewday Festival is now active on Test!

Make this Brewday Festival a memorable one! Follow the shouts of rowdy patrons located near every player city to the festival’s official brew house, The Bar of Brell. Once inside, grab a stein and celebrate Brewday with the holiday themed rewards, crafts, and adventures, both new and familiar. But don’t let the celebration stop there, the ale keeps flowing throughout the bars and drinking holes of Norrath this Brewday! Otengard Brauer’s Beer Garden in the Butcherblock Mountains seems to have attracted some unwanted patrons, and there’s news of goblins stirring trouble in the Enchanted Lands, too!

New Features for ’15!

7 New Merchant Items sold by Balin Copperfoot in Bar of Brell

New Quest – Bog Mountain’s Eruption

New Tradeskill recipe book, “Brewday Accoutrements to Craft VI” sold by Balin Copperfoot in the Bar of Brell.

This event content is currently set to run 03/05/2015 at 12:01am PST through 03/16/2015 at 11:59pm PST on the live servers.

I’m proud to announce that a fellow player who I have twice met at SOE Live and then had the fortune of spending New Year’s Eve with is embarking on a new adventure in broadcasting with his own EverQuest II-themed weekly show! Oakmiser‘s new channel, which he calls The Norrathian Chronicles, will see 5-15 minute videos covering news, live events, content updates, and tutorials for in-game topics that tend to trip players up.

Oakmiser, who shares the home server of Butcherblock with me and Dethdlr, has been getting advise from myself and Chuina, creator and former co-host of the popular EQN/Landmark show EverCast, and yesterday he posted his first video covering Erollisi Day:

He’s already listed a few of the subjects of his upcoming programs including: Experimenting Guide, Altar of Malice Review, Timed Mission Tutorials, Advanced Solo Tutorials, Housing Guide, and so much more! New Video(s) will post every Friday starting next Friday the 13th! He asks that those interested in his videos like, subscribe, and follow @NorrathianChron on Twitter, NorrathianChronicles on Facebook, and his Youtube channel.

Flowers are blooming and love is in the air once again. Erollisi Day might have originated with the Sentries of Erollisi, faithful devotees to The Goddess of Love, but it’s blossomed into a holiday that’s celebrated by Norrathians across the lands! Whether you are a hopeless romantic or a love cynic, this holiday has events you’re sure to enjoy. Take a look at all of the exciting events taking place this Erollisi Day!

My first in-game experience with an EQ2 Guide took place early in my playing career in Kelethin. A particularly threadbare patron was in need of crafted clothes, so I (and more than a few others players) sprang into action and crafted an appropriate garment. In return, I was given a robe with a unique pumpkin orange and black appearance which was only available through the quest. I wore it for quite a while, not as a fashion statement, but because I thought player-run events like this were cool and memorable. Remember too that this was back when there weren’t nearly the wide selection of armor appearances there are today.

Fast forward and while Guide quests are often known for “milk and cookies”, there are other rewards and more elaborate quests out there. The most elaborate being the recently added Nebulous Newsies quest which awards some 5 million status and a unique 66 slot bag! When a Guide signs in to offer this quest (in Cardin Ward of Obol Plains), it is almost as talked about in public chat channels as Public Quests were in the day! So how do you know when a Guide quest will be happening next? Well there isn’t an official calendar (I’ve asked!) but there are Guide update threads for each EQ2 server where members of the Guide program announce their upcoming engagements.

As for Level Agnostic Dungeons, which have quickly become an enjoyable and rewarding way to gain levels between 20 and 89 in between solo questing sessions, we’ll see a number of fixes to particularly tricky zones and unbalanced situations, and an overall upgrade that opens up the feature to level 94. This leaves Skyshrine for level 95 grinding, Brokenskull Bay for level 96-100 grinding, or for those with the gear, High Keep Contested.

Are you still working on leveling an army of characters to 100? Want to see that XP bar move a little quicker? Well, we’ve got some great news! We’re starting the New Year off right with a BIG bonus experience weekend!

Salutations Everyone!Are there some status items you’d love to purchase this season, but your personal status points are running a little low? Would you love to make a charitable donation to your guild hall escrow account this holiday? There’s a lot to celebrate this Frostfell, and we’re happy to announce the chance to earn some extra status this season!

Beginning today, December 17th, at 12:00pm (Noon) PST until Sunday, December 28 at 11:59pm PST, All Access Members will earn double personal status. This holiday is too special to celebrate for just one day, so we’re celebrating the season for 12 Days!

Each year, Frostfell gets even bigger with more quests, more collections, and more recipes with more items you can make for your home. It’s hard not to miss something without a writeup or two and fortunately EQ2 ZAM and EQ2Traders continue to deliver. Meanwhile Lera has fully updated EQ2Furniture to include multiple screenshots of every single house item available in EQ2, including all the new goodies for Frostfell! As of Noon pacific, Frostfell is open for business, and the remaining few EQ2 fan sites are all over this much-anticipated event.

So SOE really really really really really wants all of us to be on their e-mail distribution list. From the EQ2 Forums:

There’s a lot of excitement happening here at SOE. In addition to news and updates about our games, we want to make sure you have the chance to participate in some of the great promotions we have to offer!

This holiday season, one promotion is available through e-mails only. If you want to have the chance to participate, you need to make sure you’re “opted-in” (signed up to receive e-mails from Sony Online Entertainment)! In order to receive our holiday promotion e-mails, you must have this box checked on your account e-mail preferences by Wednesday, December 17, 2014.

The weather outside might be frightful, but the Norrathian streets are decorated and the citizens are so delightful! The Gigglegibber goblins and Frostfell elves are spreading cheer throughout Norrath this season and encouraging players to visit the Frostfell Wonderland Village. You can access the Wonderland through the Magic Closets in Qeynos Province District, Freeport, Haven, Kelethin, Neriak, Gorowyn and New Halas. In addition to the return of your favorite Frostell festivities, you can also look forward to plenty of exciting new content this season!

Last year, Frostfell only received a short window of testing, so we’re happy to report that this highly-anticipated annual event has appeared early on the Test servers. Live Event maestro and Senior Designer Nathan “Kaitheel“ has this report:

Frostfell is now active on Test!

There’s plenty of Frostfell cheer throughout Norrath this season! Gigglegibbers and Frostfell elves are busy celebrating the holiday within the player cities, and encouraging everyone to visit the Frostfell Wonderland Village, accessed through the Magic Closets in Qeynos Province District, Freeport, Haven, Kelethin, Neriak, Gorowyn and New Halas. There you can assist Frestishan, Candice Cheriweth, Gardy Ex-Giftgiver, Mr. McScroogle, Queen Bunny, and Snarf Frostfoot with some holiday tasks, but only after you release them from their deep freeze! For those that have a talent for crafting, you can help Sogs Frostfoot, or gather presents to craft wondrous new Frostfell goodies for yourself. Don’t forget to log in each day and claim your extra-special Frostfell present from everyone’s favorite Frostfell Gigglegibber, Santa Glug!

Looks like SOE is expanding its Player Direct program which seeks to highlight player-made content such as fansites, Youtube videos, Twitch streams, and more on official SOE communication channels. From Colette “Dexella“ on the EQ2 Forums:

Every player has a unique experience, story, and point of view, especially when it comes to games. The types of players who create streams, videos, articles, memes, and more share a deeper, richer story with their communities. That is the heart of our newly expanded Player Direct program.

You won’t want to miss the EverQuest II 10th Anniversary Stream, this Friday, November 14, 2014, running from 2-3PM PST. You can watch us on www.twitch.tv/everquest2

Tune in to watch Holly “Windstalker” Longdale, Kyle “Kander” Vallee, and Ry “Roshen” Schueller as they show off the newest expansion Altar of Malice, and play the new Aerakyn race. The team will also be running a special 10th Anniversary in-game event on the Freeport server that you certainly wouldn’t want to miss!
Do you like giveaways? We got them! During this one hour stream there will be goodies that some of our luckiest viewers will pick up as part of the 10th Anniversary celebration.

At SOE Live this year, we found out that of all the internal test servers that the EQ2 team uses to build content, none of them behaves quite like the Live or production servers. EverQuest II’s 10th annivesary is being celebrated with the return of the Heroes’ Festival event and although we understand the event was extensively tested internally, things just did not work as planned when the event was pushed to the live servers.

To force the event to run properly, members of the EQ2 team and Customer Service have been empowered to manually start up these events and spawn the vendor Roslyn through the weekend until a proper fix can be rolled out on Tuesday.

A Well-Received Event

So far these puppet/patchwork events have been a lot of fun and received positive feedback. Even though they are raid mobs, in actual practice they work like Public Quests in that anyone of any level can participate in the fight. As long as you get the buff on you from fighting them (you need to stand rather close to them), you should get credit.

Don’t worry, they don’t actually do any damage. There are zonewide notifications several minutes before they spawn. Specific details of the event can be found on EQ2 ZAM. Note that if you are a low level character, you can still reach Baelon in the Eidolon Jungle. Travel to the Feerrott and then take the nearest teleporter to the Fearcreep.

Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the release of EverQuest II. To celebrate this, the annual Heroes’ Festival returns with some new events, specifically five open raid encounters which anyone can participate in and earn credit (like a Public Quest, you do not need to be grouped or even the right level to get credit).

This year’s Heroes’ Festival is extremely special because Norrathians will be celebrating ten wonderful years of questing, raiding, tradeskilling, house decorating, and socializing in EverQuest II!

Travel to the cities of Qeynos or Freeport for the joyous festivities. Be prepared to join the fun, because the Heroes’ Festival starts on Friday, November 7 and runs through Monday, November 17, 2014.

It’s October and that means it’s time to get ready for Nights of the Dead! Are you ready to decorate your house, pick out a celebration costume, or take on some ghoulish foes? Submit an image in this month’s EverQuest II Nights of the Dead Photo Contest that shows what you are doing to celebrate Norrath’s creepiest holiday!

All entries must be submitted by 4:00 PM PDT on October 31, 2014 to the contest website. Ten winners will be randomly chosen to receive 1,000 SC.

It’s the time of year when a chill sets in and darkness falls on the lands. Ghouls begin to emerge from the shadows and both tricks and treats are plentiful. Whether you enjoy crafting holiday items or are looking for a spooky adventure, there’s something for all Norrathians to celebrate as Nights of the Dead returns to Norrath!

There are several new features for Nights of the Dead 2014, including a new Candy Crusher achievement! Adventurers can also seek out Setri Lur’eth in Nektulos Forest to take part in a new annual quest, “A Dream, By Any Other Name.” Don’t miss out on the new things holiday merchants have to sell, including house items, dungeon spawners, petamorph wands, and appearance weapons. New Bounding Orc Skeleton and Shadowy Lich costumes are also available for those who want to adventure in style!

On October 25th, Team SOE will join thousands of gamers to share the joy of gaming, be it online, board games, LARP-ing, or whatever. Together, we will raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network charity as part of Extra Life’s annual 24-hour gaming marathon. All proceeds donated will go to the local hospital of each team member!

Why are we doing this?
Our team is on a mission to help kids through the shared fun of gaming, and we need your help. Each of our team members has chosen their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital where thousands of children are treated each year, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

These kids are facing scary stuff like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and injuries from accidents. On October 25th, 2014, Team SOE will be part of a huge international celebration of the social impact of gamers with Extra Life. It’s our sincere hope that you’ll find it in your heart to support us with a monthly pledge or one-time gift that will go directly to any team member’s chosen hospital.